The present invention is related, in general, to cushioned splints for bracing and supporting the limbs of a patient, and more particularly is directed to a disposable, protective sleeve, having a pneumatic action for a rigid re-usable splint board.
In the proper care of an injured limb or for the support of a limb during intravenous feeding or the like, it is highly desirable to utilize a rigid support board to maintain the limb in an immobile, secure position. To this end, many devices have been proposed to provide splints with cushioning for the patient's comfort. Moreover, some of the prior devices include disposable components. Representative, but by no means exhaustive of such prior art devices, are the splints disclosed in the McInnerny U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,264; Bird U.S. Pat. No. 2,953,131; Schwartz U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,636; Cullen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,522; Jacoby, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,923; and Eisenberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,092. Each of the above-cited prior art proposals provides a splint for supporting a patient's limb in a firm position, while maintaining immobility for the proper care and treatment of the patient. However, these devices have not always proven to be entirely satisfactory for use in their intended application inasmuch as they lack optimum features for maximum convenience in storing, handling and mounting of the splint.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable pneumatic action sleeve for use in association with re-usable splint boards. The pneumatic sleeve disclosed herein is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture, it is foldable for easy storage and is straightforward in design and operation to provide fast and effective use as a protective, cushioned sleeve for a limb support. Moreover, the pneumatic action of the diposable sleeve provides the patient with a comfortable fit when mounted in a fully assembled splint. More particularly, the disposable sleeve of the invention comprises three rectangular sheets of foldable thermoplastic material, each sheet being formed generally to be slightly in excess of the length and width dimensions of a standard rigid splint board. The sheets are arranged in a juxtaposed relation, and are fastened together by a heat seal along the outer perimeter of the sheets. This forms a foldable sleeve of two outer sheets enclosing the third intermediate sheet. The sheets are arranged, configured and fastened in such a manner whereby the intermediate sheet forms an air-tight, expansible pocket with each of the outer two sheets. In accordance with the invention, a transverse slit or opening is formed in one of the outer sheets at one end thereof. The opening provides access to the interior of one of the pockets whereby a commercially available re-usable rigid splint board may be inserted into the pocket to form a rigid, disposable sleeve. The sleeve provides a sanitary, protective covering for the re-usable splint board. A valve means is associated with the other of the outer sheets. The valve means is operable to inflate the pocket defined by the other outer sheet and intermediate sheet. The inflated pocket provides a pillow-like cushion for the patient's limb. Moreover, the expanded pocket applies a stretching force to the first outer sheet to securely retain the splint board within its pocket.
To advantage, the heat seal may be formed in a spaced relation to the outer edges of the sheets to provide a pair of wing flaps at the perimeter of the inflated splint. A plurality of slots are formed through the flaps to accommodate straps to attach the splint to the patient's arm. Of course, the disposable, pneumatic action sleeve of the invention may be proportioned for use in supporting either a leg or an arm of the patient, and may be arranged to be attached to the limb in any suitable manner, for example, straps applied around the splint and limb.
For a better understanding of these and other advantages and features of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.